Iata chief calls for closer co-operation with governments

The call came from Iata chief Tony Tyler at the airline trade body’s 71st annual meeting in Miami.

But the director general and chief executive warned against a rush to judgment or regulation in the immediate aftermath of accidents, even in an age where news is “unbridled and ubiquitous”.

His comments follow the losses of two Malaysia Airlines aircraft, including flight MH17 shot down over Ukraine, and the Germanwings crash.

“We will not be satisfied until the outrage of MH17 is fully addressed in a global convention to control the design, manufacture, sale and deployment of weapons with anti-aircraft capability,” said Tyler.

The findings of the full investigation on the Germanwings 9525 tragedy will see “regulators and industry looking at the balance needed to monitor the mental health of crew in an environment aligned with the non-punitive ‘just culture’ that drives safety forward.”

But he added: “We must not allow anything to undermine the well-established accident investigation standards and processes, which lead to findings that improve safety,

“Aviation is built on partnerships and the relationship with governments is key. Airlines and governments are well-aligned on safety,” Tyler said.

“But in other areas of government responsibility—infrastructure, security, regulation, and environment—there are opportunities for a deeper partnership.

He added: “For nations, connectivity is much more than a competitive advantage. It is an economic necessity. And aviation’s intangible benefits make it a force for good in the world.

“So there is a tremendous common interest with governments to support safe, efficient, and sustainable global connectivity that only air transport can provide.”

He also called on the US Department of Transportation to abandon provisions to Iata’s New Distribution Capability that would force carriers to display some ancillary products through third party distribution channels not necessarily of an airline’s choosing.

“It would be a step backwards when we are set for a giant leap forwards on transparency,” Tyler claimed.

Iata also urged the European Union to stop legislation on click-through marketing that it says would disadvantage both airlines and customers.

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